Toothbrush



H. W, HICKS March 14, 1933.

TOOTHBRUSH Filed April 3, 1931 Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATESPATENT-OFFICE HARRY W. HICKS, OI FROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS TOOTHBRUSHThis invention re Application filed April 8,

lates to a tooth brush particularly adapted for thethorough and propercleansing of the teeth and massaging the gums adjacent to the exposedportions of the eeth.

Although t been practiced for he brushing of teeth has a long time, fewof those who brush their teeth regularly brush them thoroughly, theinner surfaces of the teeth being especially neglected.

t 18 an object of the present invention to provide a brush by whichfaces of each tooth may all the exposed surbe simultaneously brushed,together with a gentle massaging of the adjacent marginal portions ofthe gums. According to the invention a tooth brush is provided, thebristles of which are varied in length to form a central longitudinalchannel extending from one end other, this channel of the brush to thebeing of a suitable size to receive a row of teeth of ordinary size, thechannel being sufficiently deep to permit the bristles defining'theouter edge thereof to extend beyond the teeth surfaces adjacent texposed portions of the i so as to come into contact with the gum o theteeth. In order to accommodate the brush readily to the curved portionsof the jaws, longitudinal contour I may round off the of the brush sothat the bristles of maximum length occur at or near the middle of thebrush, the bristles at either end of the brush beingconsiderablyshorter. By this arrangement of bristles, a tooth brushembodying the inve ntion will receive and .em-

brace the teeth on any portion of either jaw.

Since the brush naturally guides itself into proper position forbrushing the surfaces of the teeth and mass naturally employs way sothat the te aging the gums, the user the brush in the correct eth areproperly cleaned and the gums are properly and gently massaged.

Thus incorrect cleansing of the teeth, often resulting from laziness orignorance of the correct use of an ordinary brush, is avoided by the useof a brush embodving the present invention. If my i all. its structurealmost and correct use, so that a v of the tooth surfaces and sue isinevitably ob mproved brush is used at compels its proper completetreatment adjacent gum tis tained unless a deliberate 1931. Serial No.527,377.

effort is made to use the brush in some manner other than that which isnaturally followed, as hereinafter described.

On the drawing,-

igure 1 is a perspective view of a tooth brush embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the brush on a larger scale.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The tooth brush illustrated on the drawing may comprise the usualelongated handle 5, one end portion 6 of which serves as a back for thebrush 7. The brush is preferably formed of an odd number of rows ofbristles, five such rows being illustrated on the drawing. Of theserows, the outermost rows 8 contain the longest bristles, the middle row9 containing the shortest. Between these rows there may be provided apair of intermediate rows 10, the tufts of the rows 10 being staggeredwith respect to the rows 8 and 9 to avoid undue weakening of the brushback 6.

For the proper cleansing of the enamel surfaces of the teeth and theproper massaging of the gum tissue it is desirable that the ends of thebristles rather than their sides be in contact with these surfaces. Tothis end the brush should be of suflicient width to embrace the teethand jaw without spreading the outer rows of bristles to such an extentas to cause the sides of the bristles to wipe along the surfaces of theteeth and gums. For average sized teeth, the width of the brush at thebase of the bristles should be approximately the bristles naturallyspreading toward their free ends to an overall brush width of slightlyover When viewed from the side. as shown in Figure 2, the ends of thebristles present, preferably, an arcuate contour, the longest bristlesbeing at or near the center of the brush, as at 11, the length of thebristles becoming less and less toward the ends 12, 12. For the averagemouth, the longest bristles at 11 may be ap proximately in length, thislength decreasing in both directions to a length of at the ends 12. Thelength of the brush itself may conveniently be 1%. As shown in Figure 3,the length of the bristles also varies in a transverse direction so asto form a, central of the teeth and the adjacent portions of the channelextending from one end of the brush gums,'are simultaneously treated.This not to the other. This channel may have an aponly insures completeand thorough-cleansproximate U or V cross sectional shape, as ing of theteeth andmassaging of the'gums,

shown. The bottom of the channel is debut also results in a considerablesaving of fined by the central row 9 of bristles, these time and effortincleans'ing the teeth,'sinc'e bristles being preferably about ft," inlength. it is not necessary to rub the brush successive- From thecentral bristles in the row 9 the ly on the inner, outer and topsurfaces of the bristles in the rows 10 and 8 progressivel teeth inthree different operations, as is cus- 10 increase in length until themaximum lengt tomary with an ordinary brush. 75 is reached at 11, thislength, as hereinbefore It is obvious that various modifications andstated,being preferably about Thus the changes in size and proportionsfromthe maximum depth of the channel at the central specific descriptionhereinbefore given can be point of the brush is about This depth, madewithout departing from the spirit and especially when increased by ayielding of the scope of the invention as defined by the folbristles inthe row 9 when pressed against lowing claims. the tops of the teeth, issuflicient to receive I claim: and embrace teeth of average size, thelongest 1. A tooth brush comprising a plurality bristles at or near thepoint 11 extending beof rows of bristles, the bristles in the centralyond the teeth to rest their ends against adrow being relatively shortand of 'substanjacent gum tissue. tially uniform length from one end ofthe While the bristle lengths herein given are row to the other, thebristles in the outer rows. suitable for adult teeth of average size, itis being varied in length from a maximum near obvious that the lengthand proportions may the middle of the brush to minima at its be somewhatmodified to receive and operate ends, presenting arcuate contours on theside upon teeth of sizes other than average. The faces of the brush tofacilitate rocking of the long bristles at 11 are, by reason of thenbrush around the inner arcuate surface of length, more limber andyielding than the the row of teeth in eachjaw, the arrangement shorterbristles in the rows 9 and 10 so that and trim of th bri tle being u h ato ro- 9 the hard enamel surfaces of the teeth receive vide simultaneousend-bristle contact with a treatment which is more vigorous than thethe'grinding and side surfaces of one or more comparatively gentle andyielding engageteeth and portions of the gum surfaces adment of the longbristles with the gum tissue. jacent thereto,

Thus the surfaces Of the teeth, and in par- 2. A tooth-brush comprisinga, plurality ticular the occlusal surfaces of the molars of longitudinalrow of bri tle in luding a which contain natural fissures are subjectedcentral row of r lativ hort b i tl and to a thorough cleansing action,while the outer rows of longer bristles varying in gums are at the sametime gently massaged. l ngth fro minima, at both nd f a h If desired, Imay increase the difference in outer row to a maximum at the middle of40 action between the central short bristles and the row whereby a,central longitudinal chanthe outer rows of long bristles by forming nelis formed with substantial depth from the outer rows with bristles ofsofter maone of the brush to the other, and the side terial than that ofthe bristles in the central faces of the brush present an arcuateconrow, but for ordinary purposes, the differtour to facilitate rockingthe brush around ence in stifiness between the outer and the the innerarcuate surfac of th row of central rows arising from the difference inteeth in each jaw. length of the bristles, will be suificient for Intestimony whereof I have aflixed my my purposes as described. signature.

It is important that the brush be adapted HARRY W, HICKS,

to cleanse thoroughly the teeth int-he forward or curved portions of thejaws, as well as the molars. In order to provide for the properconforming of the brush to these portions of the jaws, the length of thebristles in the outside rows 8 are decreased from the maximum point 11to the ends 12, as hereinbefore described. The shortening of thebristles toward the ends of the rows 8 permits the brush to adapt itselfto the teeth on the curved portions of the jaws so as to present rbristle ends to all portions of these teeth. Thus, it is only necessaryfor the user to reciprocate the brush in its natural position on anyportion'of either jaw, the result being that the inner, outer, and thetop surfaces

